Indiana road rage incident leads to gunfire on I-69

Jerry L. Steele, 53, of Indianapolis, is out on bail after allegedly firing a gun in the air after cutting off a truck driver in traffic. Photo: Max Kleinen/Unsplash

A driver was arrested on Monday, July 20, after police say he fired a gunshot out of his car window after cutting in front of a truck driver in an alleged road rage incident on Interstate 69 in Grant County, Indiana.

Indiana State Police (ISP) and the Grant’s County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene around 7:35 a.m. near mile marker 266 after receiving a report of a driver firing a gun.

According to the ISP report, truck driver Robert Ferrell, 41, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was traveling southbound on I-69 when he was allegedly cut off by a 2007 Ford Mustang driven by Jerry Steele, 53, of Indianapolis.

Ferrell responded to the incident by blowing his truck horn when Steele allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired a shot into the air, according to the ISP report.

Steele’s vehicle was later stopped near mile marker 251 in Delaware County, Indiana. Officers allegedly found a 9-mm Ruger handgun that had previously been reported stolen in Marion County, Indiana.

Steele was arrested and taken to the Grant County Jail, but he is out on bail after posting a $2,005 bond the same day, Stephanie Riggs of the Grant County Clerk’s Office told FreightWaves.

Steele is facing criminal charges including possession of stolen property and intimidation with a deadly weapon. An initial court date hasn’t been set yet, according to Riggs.  

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Clarissa Hawes

Clarissa has covered all aspects of the trucking industry for 18 years. She is an award-winning journalist known for her investigative and business reporting. Before joining FreightWaves, she wrote for Land Line Magazine and Trucks.com. If you have a news tip or story idea, send her an email to chawes@firecrown.com or @cage_writer on X, formerly Twitter.